


Drinking in Good Company

by TreeTopHeart



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bisexual Female Character, Drinking, F/F, Flirting, Kissing, Making Out, Shameless author insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:40:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25738186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TreeTopHeart/pseuds/TreeTopHeart
Summary: This is a blatant self-insert fic because I love Penelope's character and personally think Kirsten Vangsness is cute.  Enjoy. This takes place in whatever season(s) includes Emily, JJ, Reid, Hotch, Emily, and Morgan.On a night out with The Team, Penelope meets a woman at the bar. They flirt (albeit a wee bit awkwardly), trade some sexual innuendo & do the "I like girls, do...do you like girls?" dance all poor sad bisexuals must do when hitting on fellow ladies.
Relationships: Penelope Garcia/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 13





	Drinking in Good Company

The bar is loud, filled with people and music that finds its way over from the dance floor. Penelope looks over the faces of her team, Morgan making eyes at a brunette across the room, JJ doing her best to pay attention to Reid as he explains the convoluted rules to his new favorite board game, and Emily sips from a straw while absently stacking the empty cups in front of her. Penelope adjusts her bright blue skirt before interrupting Reid.

“…the goal here is not to allow the person to your left to be able to complete the gesture before you recite the last—”

“More drinks, anyone?” Penelope asks cheerfully.

The faces of her team turn towards her.

“Yes please,” JJ glances at Reid, “we’re going to need a lot more alcohol to get through this.”

Reid pulls a hurt face but then looks at Penelope and grins, “Maybe another drink wouldn’t hurt.”

Emily finishes her the remnants of her glass, slurping up the last drops loudly. She looks up at Penelope, “Count me in.”

Penelope looks to Derek, but he shakes his head. “Sorry baby girl, that’s my cue.” He glances to his left and she sees the brunette on the opposite end of the room grinning and gesturing for him to come over. With that he slides out of the booth and makes his way over.

“What a guy,” Prentiss laughs.

“He’s quite a guy alright.” JJ agrees and shakes her head.

“Even though we have been abandoned, we shall take no heed! Drinks!” Penelope stands and walks to the bar. The bartender is efficient but it’s busy, so Penelope settles in for a wait. She leans with her elbows on the bar and adjusts one of her many colored bracelets.

A body brushes up against hers and there is the feeling of long sleeves on the bare skin of her upper arm. She turns her head to see a woman has slid between her and another person waiting to be served. The woman tucks a strand of red hair behind her ear and looks at the bartender intently. Her black long-sleeved top is thin and Penelope blushes slightly when she realizes that with the light coming from behind the bar, she can see through it. The woman turns to her right and with a jolt Penelope realizes she’s been caught staring.

“Um, I like your top.” Penelope blurts, smiling nervously.

The woman smiles, “Thanks. It’s old and getting close to retirement, but it’s still one of my favorites.” She looks at Penelope more closely, the woman’s gaze washes over her as her eyes travel from top to bottom. When her eyes finally return to Penelope’s, they appear darker, more intense. “My name’s Eve.”

“Penelope.” Penelope says, and holds her hand out to shake like she would at work before being immediately mortified.

Eve looks at her hand before taking it in hers and shaking, her smile transforming into a grin. “Nice to meet you, Penelope. Are you here by yourself?”

Penelope shakes her head. “No, I’m with my friends. You?”

Eve shrugs, “Just me tonight.”

Penelope can’t tell if it’s her imagination or if Eve’s arm has moved closer to hers where it rests on the bar. She wonders about it up until the moment Eve reaches out and tucks a strand of loose blonde hair behind Penelope’s ear.

“I love the color of your hair,” she says. “Is it real?”

Penelope blinks and then shakes her head.

“Mine isn’t either.” Eve tells her. “What’s the good in having any if you can’t pick a color you like?”

“I fully agree.” Penelope nods, her face feels hot. _We’re just talking about hair_ , she reasons, _no need to get so worked up._ Something in Eve’s eyes makes her questions that, and Penelope feels her cheeks continue to heat up.

The bartender picks that moment to appear in front of them. He looks at the two of them questioningly.

Eve looks at her. “Can I buy you a drink, Penelope?”

“A drink?” Penelope says and then exclaims, “Oh! Drinks! I forgot, I’m getting drinks!” She turns to the bartender and orders a cocktail for Reid, a cider for Prentiss, and a beer for JJ before ordering picking the brightest colored mixed drink on the menu for herself.

“Add a double vodka lemonade to that.” Eve says and hands a credit card to the bartender.

Penelope begins digging rapidly through her purse. “Eve, no, I’m buying a round of drinks for my friends. You don’t have to do that.”

“Penelope,” Eve says, and lays a hand over Garcia’s arm to stop her frantically pawing at the contents of her purse. Penelope looks up at her and Eve looks into her eyes before saying, deadly serious. “I’m trying to ingratiate myself with your friends, so they won’t mind when I go back with you.”

“Back with me?” Penelope says, half a whisper.

Eve cracks a crooked grin, “Back to your table? Or did you have something else in mind?”

Penelope’s mouth falls open and Eve looks at her, waiting for a reply. She takes a breath and wills words to come out, for her mouth to say anything in response. The grin drops from Eve’s face and she withdraws her hand from where it is resting on Penelope’s arm.

Eve bites the inside of her cheek. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t realize it wasn’t…” She runs a hand through her hair. “When you were looking at my shirt, I thought—”

Penelope’s eyes fly open. “No! I mean, yes!”

Eve’s eyebrows draw together in confusion.

Penelope tries again. “What I mean is, that, well, it isn’t… not like that.”

Eve eyes narrow. “It isn’t ‘not’ like that? Meaning it is like that?”

The bartender interrupts again by pushing the ensemble of drinks towards the two of them and returning Eve’s credit card with a curt nod. Penelope looks between Eve and the drinks comes to a decision.

“Will you help me carry these back?” She gestures to the drinks. “I can’t carry them all myself.” She looks at Eve and adds, “Please?”

The look Eve levels at Penelope, makes her feels like she’s on the edge of a diving board, deciding whether or not to jump and her toes begin to tingle in anticipation.

“Back where?” Eve asks carefully.

“Back to our table.” Penelope pauses and bites her lip. “Or did you have something else in mind?”

Eve’s face lights up in relief and she laughs, a tad nervously. “You grab the tall two and I’ll get the rest?”

“Sounds good.” Penelope nods in agreement and swipes Prentiss’ cider and JJ’s beer. The sweating pint glasses are cold to the touch and with one last look at Eve, Penelope leads the way back to the table. Her stomach is full of tension, delicious and tight, as she walks. As soon as she comes into view of her team (sans Morgan) her smile turns up in volume. JJ and Emily are laughing as Spencer eagerly demonstrates something with his hands.

She comes up to the table and sets down the drinks before sliding back into her seat. Eve follows, taking Morgan’s empty seat. Penelope’s team gives her a questioning look and she falls over herself slightly in an attempt to explain.

“Guys, this is Eve. She kindly offered to help me bring your drinks back to you all.” She turns to Eve, “Eve, these are my friends, Spencer, JJ, and Emily.”

Eve smiles at each of them. “I hope you don’t mind me crashing your party.”

“No, not at all, welcome.” Emily says as she starts on her fresh drink. “We were just discussing who would win in a race between a horse and a human.”

“I was explaining that it depends entirely on the environment the race is run in.” Spencer starts. “Due to the fact that horses are unable to sweat, if a race occurred in extremely hot conditions between an exceptionally fit human and an average horse it’s entirely possible that the horse would simply overheat and be unable to complete the race.”

“That sounds like the argument behind persistence hunting.” Eve says, “You’re not pedaling naïve supposition just to win, are you?” Her tone is even but playful, barely a note below flirtatious.

JJ and Emily turn to look at Spencer.

“Are you…are you _fucking_ with us, Spence?” JJ asks incredulously, her blue eyes wide.

Spencer looks sheepish and he shrugs. “It’s a theoretical argument, supposition is allowed, if not encouraged.”

Penelope stares at Eve and feels a touch of hurt at her sudden interest in Spencer. In that moment, she feels a gentle touch on her knee. She glances down to see Eve’s hand resting carefully atop her bare skin. Her fingernails are painted a light pink and are short and shaped round. Penelope’s eyes flick back to the side of Eve’s face and sees the start of a small smile that she is fastidiously attempting to curb. The hand begins to push upwards, excruciatingly slowly. Eve’s fingertips and dragging against the edge of her knee up to the start of her thigh. Penelope’s face reddens and she tries her best to keep a straight face and concentrate on the easy conversation being made. Before Eve’s hand makes it to the hem of her dress, it pauses, tracing circles.

“Penelope? What do you think?” JJ’s voice startles her. Penelope looks away from Eve’s profile and back to the rest of the table.

“Wh-what do I think?” She asks and sets the hand not holding her drink on top of Eve’s. Eve stills immediately. “I think, well, I think I’ve got something to go do, right now. I’m going to go and… um get some air.” Penelope stands up from the table and turns to Eve. “You should come with.”

“I should?” Eve asks and Penelope knows she’s teasing her now by playing stupid.

“Yes, you should.” Penelope says firmly.

“Alright.” Eve says easily. She looks back at the rest of the table, “Nice to meet you all, I’m going out to get some air.”

Penelope turns and heads out towards the exit, Eve trailing behind. Penelope doesn’t realize until she’s outside and her face is hit with the cool September air that during their journey outside, she never let go of Eve’s hand. She turns to look back at Eve and Eve meets her eyes in a way that makes something inside her tighten to the point it’s almost painful.

Penelope surprises herself when she leans in first. The kiss is messy and made wonderful by the buzz of alcohol in both of their systems. Eve’s hands move from where they were trapped between the two of them to settle on Penelope’s waist. They sit there heavily, confidently, and Penelope feels enclosed in the most wonderful way. Eve is only a little taller, but it’s enough to feel warm and shielded from the crisp night air.

Eve pulls back from the kiss to breath, panting slightly her breath warm against Penelope’s face. Her eyes are hooded, and her cheeks are flushed. Her hair drifts into her face as the breeze picks up.

Penelope makes a decision.

“Come home with me.” She says, trying not to say the words so quickly that she can’t be understood.

“What about your friends?” Eve asks, hands still resting on Penelope’s hips, rubbing slightly.

“They won’t mind.” Penelope knows it’s true as soon as she says it. “They won’t mind at all.”

“Alright,” Eve smiles again and gives Penelope a quick kiss on the nose. “Lead the way, Miss Penelope.”


End file.
